“I’m not going anywhere with you,” she said affably. “But don’t worry—I won’t linger. I’ll be heading to the coaching inn or the train station.”
He laughed. “You don’t have any money, my sweet liar. I haven’t paid you, and it would be a rare maidservant indeed who had enough to move on.”
“I’m a very rare female,” she shot back, squirming. She could bring up her knee when he didn’t expect it, but she really, really didn’t want to do that. Not to him. “Now let me go.”
“Let go of such a treasure?” he mocked her. “Not likely. You’re coming with me.”
“Oh, Jesus Christ, I’m not going to be abducted twice in one day!” she burst out, knowing Nanny Gruen would do more than wash her mouth out for the uncontrolled blasphemy.
Luca laughed, damn him. “I’m afraid you are. I’m taking you on board my new ship and we’ll get away from everything for a while. You’ll like her—she’s the prettiest little clipper ship that ever sailed the oceans.”
She had frozen. “No,” she said in a choked voice.
“Yes.”
“I… I can’t get on a boat.”
“Ship,” he corrected.
“I don’t give a bloody damn what you call it, I won’t get on one. You can’t make me.”
“You have the most atrocious language for a maidservant, did you know that? And I’m afraid I most certainly can. I’m much bigger and stronger than you, and if I leave you behind someone will kill you. I can’t in good conscience allow that to happen.”
“You don’t have a conscience, good or not,” she said wildly. “And you can’t make me. I’ll scream, I’ll tell people you’re kidnapping me, I’ll do anything I can to stop you.”
“I was afraid of that, sweetheart,” he said, and he loosened his grip on one arm. “I’m so sorry.”
“About what?” she said, just moments before everything went black.
Luca caught her deftly before she landed on top of the big man’s corpse. He realized with distant shock that he’d never hit a woman before. He hoisted her up and moved away, cradling her against him. He felt guilty. That was very odd—he wasn’t used to remorse. He did what he had to do. Life handed you choices and you made them and you didn’t waste your time worrying about it.
He’d had no choice but to clip Maddy Russell across the jaw, or she would have raised enough fuss to get half the people of Devonport down on him. He was tolerated in the dockside community because of his sailing skills and his wealth, but no one really liked a half-gypsy living in a house next to theirs.
He knew how to clock a man, to put them on the deck with a solid hit to the chin. He had to tone it down for a female, even one with as stubborn a jaw as Maddy had, and when she dropped bonelessly he even knew a moment’s fear that he had hit her too hard.
But she was breathing easily, her pulse felt strong, and a woman like Maddy Russell could withstand more than a very gentle knockout punch. Besides, he was saving her life, wasn’t he?
In the name of expediency he shifted her, tossing her over his shoulder like a sack of grain, and headed back down the walkway. It was almost full dark now, the streetlamps were being lit, and he paused long enough by the body of the first man to borrow his ropes and gag. He had no idea how long Maddy would be out—for the sake of his supposedly nonexistent conscience he hoped not for long—and he needed to get her trussed up enough so that he could get her aboard her namesake without her making a fuss. He needed to sail by the next tide, and he couldn’t afford to waste time subduing her.
He took the waiting carriage, simply because it was there, dumping her in the back before he jumped into the driver’s seat. There was nothing to tell him who had sent the men—it was a simple coach for hire. The notion that it might be Rufus Brown was absurd, but just to be on the safe side he’d send a note to the police before they set sail, informing them of the dead bodies and suggesting they might question Gwendolyn’s “dearest friend.” Stranger things had happened.
He drove through the streets of Devonport at a maddeningly slow pace. He was easily recognizable by most of the citizens, both for his height and his clear ancestry, but no one could see how tall he was in the driver’s seat of a brougham, and he kept his head down. Besides, he never drove anywhere in the city—no one would expect to see him there.
It was teatime, and the docks were deserted. Maddy was still and silent in the back as he pulled the carriage into the narrow lane near the dockside office of what had once been Russell Shipping.
Carrying her aboard ship was a risk, but he took it, not wanting to wait any longer. People down at the docks knew to mind their own business, particularly the few who were around at this time of day, and he bounded up the walkway with his precious parcel over his shoulder, looking neither right nor left.
Billy was still on deck, watching the stowing of gear, and he didn’t even raise an eyebrow at his unexpected return or the bundle over his shoulder. “I take it we’re setting sail again?” he said evenly enough.
“Next tide.” Luca disappeared down the passageway without another word, carrying her directly to his cabin. She was just beginning to stir, and while no one on his ship would blink if he had a screaming, struggling female on board, he’d just as soon not risk it.
In fact, it was only an assumption that none of the hardened men he sailed with would blink—he’d never had a screaming, struggling female aboard before. Kicking open his door, he dumped her on the berth, then glanced around the cabin. There was nothing she could break, nothing she could hurt herself with. She’d be safe enough, locked in, until they were well out to sea. He locked the door behind him, heading back on deck. Thinking back to her fury the moment before he clipped her, he wondered just how safe he’d be when she came to.
“Pull the gangplank,” he said as he came into the cool air.
“All the men aren’t back yet. This may be a small ship but you know we’ll need men to sail her, even if you’re only planning to go as far as France or Spain. You weren’t thinking of heading across the Atlantic, were you?”
“If I do we’ll pick up more crew. Why are you looking at me like that?”